Tango Twins
I’ve been called many nicknames in my
lifetime, but this one was added to the list about a year ago when Pokkeltjie
& I went on a ride with Iain & Lizzie.
Lizzie
named her ride on Strava, “Anthem initiation ride with the Tango twins.” Ever
since then they have referred to us as the Tango Twins and others joined in. We
even took it further than that, and identified ourselves as TT1 (that’s me of course)
and TT2 (Pokkeltjie).
Lizzie had no idea how famous the Tango Twin Duet would become when she named us. J
Recently we completed the Epic Cymru in Wales and a photo of us at the Finish Line made it into the MBR for November 2015. This photo is the pure inspiration for this post. (Thank you Pierre for the Strava alert!)
In order for you to get to the Tango
Twins better I have asked us a few questions?
TT1 about TT2
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TT1
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(TC about Liezl)
Who gets the most punctures?
TT2, but I’ve made up with 2 in 2 days recently so we should be even now
Who waits the most on the trails for each other?
Definitely TT2, she is fast, I just can’t keep up with her even if I try my best!
Who takes the least risks?
Me (TT1), I’m either the sensible one or just plain scared
Most spectacular crash you have witnessed of TT2?
There have been a few crashes which makes it hard to narrow it down. I always discover the black spot (that’s how I refer to TT2 laying on the ground in the fetal position). It has to be when she was taking a jump, landed on a down slope by doing a full 360 summersault with her feet still attached to her bike.
Proudest you have been of TT2 and collectively of the Tango Twins?
- When she won her age category in her first ever XTERRA triathlon and came third overall in 2013.
- Collectively when we finished the Sellaronde Hero in 2014, the longest toughest day we’ve had on our mountain bikes, but we did it!
- Oh and
the way we approached Peaslake MTBO (Mountain bike orienteering) in April 2015.
We planned our route, stuck to the plan, picked up the 11 markers we planned to
get on our route plus an additional 3 we added in case we had enough time.
We ended up having enough time and won the Women’s 3 hour category.
What is the best part of having a trusting riding partner?
It starts with knowing that if she said she is going to ride with me, she will ride with me. Knowing each other so well helps reading a situation, when to encourage and when to keep quiet. It took us time to figure out the best way of communicating with each other, but we are reaping the benefits now. TT2 knows when I am tired just by looking at the position of my head. We often have a role reversal, when one of us is down the other one keeps us going and the other way round. Thankfully we have never been down at the same time! I know she isn’t just going to leave me behind, she will warn me or wait for me at sections which she knows I might not like that much. Even if I know she will be fine, I always wonder where is she, what happened to her, is she ok?
Most common phrases TT2 uses?
- I don’t like to push
- I have a puncture
- *bus doors opening* tee
tee tee tee (the sound she makes to announce that her legs can no longer cope
and that it would be better to be at the top of the hill right now than to
still have to get there)
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| TT2 |
TT2 about TT1
(Liezl about TC)
Who faffs
the most?
Uhm. Do I have to be honest? Okay…although it’s pretty much 50/50, I think TT1 probably thinks I faff the most…and vice versa. However, if the question is a general one…then I think the answer is Simon Osborne a.k.a Sakkie :-)
Who gets the most punctures?
That’s an easy one! I definitely do…hands down! I can basically change a tyre with my eyes closed…behind my back…whilst eating a cheese straw.
TT1 says you do most of the waiting? Why do you wait, why don’t you just carry on riding?
Safety in numbers and all that :) With my track record of falls it is better not to go solo. In all seriousness, I would not want to ride on my own all the time and it helps to know that there is someone waiting for you (whether it is me or TT1). It gives you that extra push you need and mentally it can do wonders. I’m not in it to win it…I want to enjoy the mountains on my bike and be a reliable, patient friend at the same time.
Who takes the most risks?
That’ll be me (TT2). I have always been a bit fearless so when I see a great downhill I love just bombing down it at speed (with relative amount of control of course). TT1 is definitely more sensible than I am when it comes to that.
Who crashes the most?
Do I really have to talk about my crashes again? People might think I can’t ride you know :) If you bear the above mentioned comment in mind you’d completely understand why I crash so much but then again…my motto is: “If you don’t fall, you’re not trying hard enough” Or that’s how I justify it at least…
Who has the
best sense of direction?
Now I must say, TT1 isn’t just a pretty face…she has direction as well. She literally knows the Surrey hills like the palm of her hand and doesn’t even need a GPS to get us around. It’s quite astonishing really…and it means we hardly ever get lost #respect
You can trust her to get you from Point A to Point B without a doubt.
What is the
best part of having a trusting riding partner?
TT1 and I are like sisters. One minute we can joke about and the next minute we can be cross with one another but the beauty of ‘family’ is that you get over it quickly and move on. We do mountain biking for fun and it’s much more enjoyable to ride with a good friend / riding partner so we can have chats, encourage one another and share the experience. She is really good with helping with punctures as well #handy :)
Most common phrases used by TT1?
- I LOVE Summer Lightning
- I want a Yazoo
- Are we at altitude?
Blog written by: TC and her guest TT2
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| Tango Twins literally |
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| On a recent training ride in Summer 2015 |
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| Through thick & thin Photo: Anthony Pease as featured in MBR November 2015 on page 13 |